Chit p.4a. ,4n Expoñtion upon the Book,, of J o B. Verf, i a, 9 From the method of their proceeding; Fir(}, They bemoan- ed him; and,Secondly, They comforted him, Note; we can never truly comfort others , till we have pitied others. Comforting begins at pittying.lt is poffible to pity one,and not to comfort him : Some will give bemoaning words, yet are not able to miniller real comforts ; fo then, there may be pittying without comforting, but there cannot be comforting without pia tying. Godhimfelf is thus expreft (s Cor. T. 3, 4,) Firfl, He is called, The father of mercies, that is, he is full of pity, full of compaffionate bowels. And then, Secondly, He is called, The Godof all confolation. He is a comforting cod, becaufe a pittying God .IfGodwere not pitiful and compalïionate, we should have no comfort from him : fo it is with men, if we pity not others we cannot comfort them. fob called his friends miferable com- forters (chap. 16. a.) Theycame to mourn with him, and to com- fort him (chap. z, r r.)but had they more at%dlionatelymourn- ed withhim, they would have more effe &ually comforted him, They did not pity him enough in his mifery, and fo theyproved but miferable comforters to him. Secondly, From the work it fell, ()Verve ; To comfort thofe that are inaff t lion is our duty, eind a work, of charity. Tominiller comfort to the forrowful, is a greaterpoint of cha- rity, than to minifler bread to the hungry, or clothing to the naked,As the foul is better than the body,fo thofe a&s of charity, . which cffer relief to the foul in any kind, are better than thofe by which the body is relieved. Though to give bread be more cofily to us than good words (we ufe to fay good words are,cheap) yet good and comfortable words are worth much more thanbread, theyare better than gold,yea, than fine gold, fweerer alto than the honey,and the honey-comb, The A.poflle gave this ditty incharge to believers ( a Theff. 1.1 a.) Comfort your felves together, and edifeone another. And at the a4th verf. Nowweexhort you brt» ehhren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, fop- port 7
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